Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-01-20

ohN huiiblc hic CoIupellcu ON lnelT IeC-
essities to buy, and taxes lightly or not
at all, luxuries which the wealthy class
of our people are able and will purchase
at any price. Since IL was in force, we
have given away forty million dollars
worth OF the public lands to pay por-
tion Of our people at the expense of an
other portion, to plant and raise trees,
and Mt the same time we have paid
twice that sum to few lumber m0nopo-
lies to cut down and destroy the trees
which nature has already given us. /
have been amused since my short ser
vice in Congress TO see great piles of pc
titions presented on the same day, o part
of them praying that laws be passed to
protect the American forests from de-
structiOn, and part of them praying
that the duty on imported lumber be
increased. The poor lumberman Is
made to believe that his wages increas-
ed 25 cents day because his employer
is enabled to sell the lumber he makes
for 81 per thousand more. But he for
gets that 80 cents in tax per annum for
the sugar he eats, and 80 cents piece
for his wife and each of his children
will exhaust the extra Is cents day in
one months wages; that 20 per cent.
on his hat. so per cent. on his blanket;
20 per cent. on his salt; 100 per cent. on
the stockings he buys for his wife and
children and 80 per cent. on his flannel
and cheap clothing will soon absorb the
extra quarter per day for every day in
the year, while his opulent employer
pockets the 50 tax per thousand to buy
his luXuries at an average of 25 per
cent. 1t does laboring man no good
to pay him little extra money with one
hand, if the law makes the other take
it away from him every Saturday night.
I have said to you that the present
system of taxation brings into the treas
ury at Washington fifty millions of dol
lars year more than the government
REQUIRES for an economical administra-
ton it. Everybody knows and con-
cedes that this is wrong. Congress has
no more right to take that money from
the peoples pockets and lock it up in
the federal treasury than your County
Commissioners have to Over-taX the
people of Franklin county fifty thou
sand dollars year and lock it up in
Columbus. How shall that system be
reduced? Shall we lower the taxes on
the necessaries of life, or on the lux
uries? Several remedies are proposed.
One is to abolish the internal revenue
taxes. / do not like the internal rev.
enue system in some respects, No good
Democrat does. But the plain question
is, shall we give the people free whisky
and cigars, which they do not need, or
cheaper clothing and food which they
are compelled to have. Is the Demo-
cratic party prepared to go before the
country in 1883 on such an issue? am
opposed to taxing the laboring working
people of this country so per cent. on
the necessaries of life which he is COM
PEELED to buy for himself and family,
and giving him whisky and cigars free,
which he seldom needs, and which he
buys voluntarily, if at all. I would rath-
er'reduce the price of his sugar 2 cents,
the lumber for his humble cottage 50
per thousand, the suit of clothes on his
back few dollars, than 80 cents off a
gallon of whisky and five cents off his
cigar.
If the present rate of Federal taxes
prevail, in ten years we shall have
three-quarters of billion of dollars in
the Treasury for congressman to quar-
rel over and lobbyists to squander or
steal. Even if expended for internal
improvements, those who pay the most
of it will get but little benefit from it.
It is said we have 1850, 900 wool grow
ers in Ohio, and that the tariff on wool
gives them Scents pound extra for
their products. So long as we consume
O much greater quantity of wool than
we produce I doubt seriously the pro-
position; but If it is true, the other
three millions in Ohio have to pay for
it. If the wool grower could have
proper relief on the thousand things
he is compelled to buy he could afford
to trust the great commercial law Of
supply and demand to fix the price of
his wool, as the farmer does for his
wheat, corn and pork. And while the
woo!-grower gets his 80 per cent. tax
on his wool, he is taxed 80 per cent on
the clothes which he buys made out of
his own wool.
I cannot enumerate the more than
two hundred articles on the tariff
schedule, but have few sampes here
which illustrate the subject, copied
from the Chicago Tribune, paper
which breaches sound doctrine on tariff
reform, and invariably supports candi-
dates for Congress opposed to any re-
form.
DUTY ON ARTICLES OF LUXURY.
Ottar of roses, free.
Nereli of orange flower oil, free.
Diamonds, 10 per cent.
Raw silk, free.
JeWelry. 25 per cent.
Gold studs, 25 per cent.
Fine still wines, in bottles, 20 per
cent.
Finest thread lace, 80 per cent.
Fine Aubusson and Administer car
pet, costing abroad $2.77 abroad yard,
26 cents yard, 40 per cent. III
Finest India shawls, costing abroad
say 500 pound weight, 35 cents q
pound and 40 per cent advalorem, or
say 40l per cent.
Silk stockings, 80 per cent.
Finest broadcloth, costing five dol
lars a pound abroad, 35 cents pound
and 40 per cent, equal to abou: Al per
cent.
Pate defoie grass, Is per cent.
Musical instruments of all kinds, 25
per cent.
Duty on quart bottle of champagne,
costing abroad 81 bottle, 58 cents.
Curry and curry powder, free.
Olives, green or prepared, free.
Spices of all kinds, free.
DUTY ON ARTICLES OF NECESSITY.
Castor oil, 180 per cent.
;nconJ oil go ,>aw Nonk